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What Can I Expect After a Catastrophe?

After a fire or flood that only affects your home, you can usually expect immediate help from emergency services. You call the fire department and help arrives at your home within minutes. However, what happens when there’s a major catastrophe that affects a large area?

Catastrophes such as tornadoes and derechos can cause all sorts of property damage.

After a catastrophic event—such as a major flood, tornado, derecho, or wildfire—there will often be hundreds or thousands of people in need of assistance and support. In some cases, you may have to wait hours or even days before you get the help you need.

Recovery after the disaster

If you need medical help after a catastrophe, call for emergency help right away. Emergency crews will be very busy, but they will prioritize those in life-threatening situations.

On the other hand, if your home only experienced minor damage and none of your family members are hurt, then be patient and understand that it may be a while before help arrives. In the meantime, call your local catastrophe response crew as soon as possible—even if they’ve already been swamped with calls, they will put you on a waiting list and send out a technician as soon as possible.

If you’re struggling to financially recover as a result of a catastrophe, consider these options:

Contact your local government offices and charity organizations such as the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross to determine if any programs have been set up to help those in a difficult financial situation as a result of the catastrophe.

Find out if your area has been designated a federal disaster area. If so, you may be eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA’s purpose is to provide food, temporary shelter, and other essential services to those affected by catastrophes. They also offer grants for home repairs and reconstruction.

Work with your insurance agent. If your claim has been denied or if you feel like the proposed payout is too small, you will have the option to appeal.

Make a full recovery

Hurricane Sandy and the recent Oklahoma tornadoes have shown us that no one is completely safe from disaster. Catastrophes can happen at any time—fortunately, if bad things do happen, there will be resources available to help you recover. To get the best and most efficient property repair and reconstruction services possible, call your Chicago property restoration specialists.

FEMA sets up emergency response centers to help those impacted by disasters